A Frozen Queen
by FallingIntoRain
Summary: Lucy, Edmund and Eustace have just gone back to England and the Dawn Treader is on its way back to Narnia. However, an sudden storm blows them into a mysterious land inhabited only by women- and ruled by a familiar queen.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Somehow I doubt I'm dead, British, or a guy. I don't own the Chronicles of Narnia.**

They were gone. Forever. He was all alone. The sea of lilies spread out before him, beautiful, glorious. But, right now, they meant nothing to him. They were completely dull and lifeless.

He couldn't help feeling abandoned. He had hoped that perhaps they could go back with him, that they could help him rule. It wasn't fair. Being king was a lot harder than he had expected and he was so busy all the time. It didn't help that all the magical creatures were still getting used to freedom and many still distrusted him, the Telmarine king.

And there was still her. Lucy. One of the Queens of the Golden Age. He had wished that maybe they could have been together, but no. She was gone from him, from Narnia forever.

"Your Majesty? Is something bothering you?" A voice said. The captain if the Dawn Treader, Drinian, was standing by, looking worried.

"I- no, nothing is wrong," Caspian said, knowing perfectly well how pitiful the lie was.

Drinian narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but decided to drop it. He knew that he couldn't get a confession out of the king at the moment. Best to just let him get over it.

Caspian stared at the sunset for a few moments after Drinian walked away. Lilies still spread out all around the boat as far as the eye could see. Rhince, the First Mate, had predicted that they would leave the sea in about a day or two. He hoped it was longer. As yet, he still didn't think of them, of _her_ as far away.

But he still had to act the confident king, so he brushed his gold hair out of his eyes and put on a confident smile. He didn't need to act depressed in front of his crew. Somehow, he didn't think that would be very kingly of him.

Caspian finally drew out of his reverie and headed toward his cabin. He had a map to finish of the journey of the Dawn Treader, the first ship journey since that of the seven lords, and hopefully a successful one. As he carefully drew out the sea of lilies, he thought of the apparent success of the mission. They had found out what happened to each of the lords and were now finally sailing back home to Narnia.

He had missed Narnia so much. The sweet air, the always present fragrance of brightly blooming flowers. He loved everything about it and he couldn't wait until he could get home._ If only they could come too, _he thought rather bitterly. All in all, it would be a bittersweet return. Sweet because he was because he was returning home after almost six months, bitter because his friends wouldn't be coming with him.

He missed them all so much, even Eustace whom he heartily disliked at the beginning of the journey. Although Caspian did feel sorry for Eustace, he really couldn't have turned into a dragon at a better time. And Edmund had always been so nice and agreeable. He had always liked him the best of the Pevensie brothers. Not that he didn't like Peter, it was just that he needed to always be in control. Sometimes, it did get rather irritating.

He missed her the most. Lucy the Valiant, the Warrior Queen of Narnia. She was always so merry, so playful, and was always able to brighten up the mood. He missed her bright laugh which had rung so blithely all about the ship. There was something so likable about her, you just couldn't help but love her.

Just then, Caspian was jolted out of his thoughts when a crash shook the ship. He dropped his quill in surprise and, after hurriedly picking it up, ran outside to meet Drinian. He was by the wheel, staring apprehensively at the approaching black clouds. They were high and very dark and streaks of lightning briefly illuminated them. Caspian understood the problem at once. If the headed into the storm, they might get wrecked, but if they swerved to avoid it, they would get horribly off course and probably never see Narnia again.

" Drinian! Is there any way we can escape without getting off course?" he asked.

Drinian looked at him and replied, "I've sent Alvaron to take a look."

Suddenly, a brown haired man wearing a slightly stained sailors' outfit sprinted up to them. "Captain, Your Majesty, there is s absolutely no way we will survive the storm if we keep on going. It's the worst I've ever seen in my life!" he babbled urgently.

"Thank you, Alvaron. Please go back to your duties," Drinian answered wearily.

Turning to Caspian, "It appears that our only chance is to sail around."

"But what if we never find our route again?"

"Eh, we probably won't sail too far away. Besides, this way we have a chance. If we keep on going, we will drown almost certainly."

"Fine," Caspian grunted. "Sail around then."

Immediately, the sailors started to row and the sail were let out so they could guide the boat in a different direction. Seeing that they needed help ( the storm was the biggest he had ever seen) Caspian rushed to the man who was guiding the sail and, taking the ropes from him, ordered him to get with his fellows.

It was all going quite well until a fierce gust of wind, followed by a gigantic wave, sent the poor ship spiraling out of control. Many of the sailors were knocked out of their seats and the Caspian himself was blown almost into the ocean, the ropes slipping from his hands, saved only be gripping onto the railing of the deck.

When it was over, most of the sailors were lying in dazed heaps all around the deck. Caspian picked himself up unsteadily and gazed off into the sea. The water was a clear blue and the lilies were nowhere in sight. There was no sign of anything beside his ship in the water.

The Dawn Treader itself was a mess, the sails were ripped, the decks spattered with water and grime. Caspian grimaced, thinking about how long the ship would last in that condition.

By then, Drinian had managed to extract himself and came to stand beside Caspian.

"Well, that was certainly unexpected, I'm sure," he said calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" Caspian asked, staring. "We just got ourselves hopelessly lost with no land in sight, for Aslan's sake!"

"It doesn't do to be too pessimistic. And, for the record, there _is_ land in sight."

Caspian whipped his head around and surely enough, just barely visible across the azure sea, was a hint of green.

At that exact moment, a voice yelled, "Land ho!"

After the Dawn Treader had docked, the men spilled out and gazed at the jungle before them. It was a tangle of lush plants and bright flowers, dotted with silvery pools and streams. Just a few feet before the land met the ocean, the terrain changed smoothly into white sand. In other words, it was paradise.

"We ought to explore around here. It's no good to come to a place like this and not have a look around," Caspian found himself saying, the familiar glint of adventure in his eyes.

The men had barely taken a step in before they were surrounded by women dressed in armor. Spears, bows and swords were pointed at them, and there seemed to be at least a hundred of them.

"Speak, male," a harsh female voice demanded. "Tell us, what are you doing here?"

Caspian, feeling that it was his responsibility, looked up and replied, "We were washed up here, in our ship, the Dawn Treader. We mean no harm to you."

The woman who had spoken walked up to the front. From what he could make of her underneath the armor, she had brown hair and was very tall and slim.

"That is hard to believe. No one turns up in the Land of the Amazons without a reason. You leave us no choice. We must take you to see the Queen."

* * *

><p><em>Caspian<em>

The women pushed us forward up the hill, none to gently. The lady with the brown hair, who seemed to be the leader, led the group, her sword drawn. It was unbelievably sharp and gleamed harshly in the sun. I knew we had no chance to escape and fight, even if we had had time to prepare for the capture. We were hopelessly outnumbered and something told me these women were no stranger to blood. They fought for a living.

I glanced at Drinian out of the corner of my eye. He was being led at sword point by a blond haired girl who was rather short and skinny. We had no chance of communicating or of making a plan.

I wondered at this queen we were being taken to see. The most we could hope for was that she be merciful, but from what I had seen from her soldiers, I seriously doubted it. I could only hope that she would not immediately order our execution.

"Halt!" the leader's strong voice cut through my thoughts.

The other men from the Dawn Treader and I were pushed forward. My eyes widened as I stared down at the city that lay before of us. It was beautiful but treacherous. All buildings were made with marble, gleaming in the harsh glare of the sun. The streets were wide and clean and girls walked in complete harmony, talking serenely at each other.

The treacherousness lay in the defensive barrier that stood against the city, armed with spikes and traps. They were cleverly designed so that only an experienced soldier could see them. The girls all had scabbards swinging from their hips, or a bow slung over their shoulders, or perhaps a wide array of knives in their belts. In the distance, I could see an arena and from the amount of people who were streaming into it, I could guess that a fight was about to begin.

This was not a good place to be captured in.

The leader was talking urgently to another girl, dark haired and tiny. I could make out only snatches of their conversation.

"But Carma, they're men!" the dark haired girl whispered to the leader, who was evidently named Carma.

"Lira, I know, but they just appeared out of nowhere! No one comes here without a purpose. We must consult the queen, "Carma argued back.

Their conversation continued in this tone for a time until Lira finally surrendered.

"If these cause trouble, then be aware that it is not my fault," were her optimistic words of parting.

We were then led downhill until we got to the barrier. There, Carma held another rushed discussion with the sentries standing on guard, not unlike the one she had with Lira, until we were allowed in.

We were openly gawked at as we paraded through the city, Amenna we heard it was called. Some girls showed mere curiosity in their eyes, while others glared with open resentment.

I wondered briefly where exactly we were going as we led through all of Amenna. I had seen no grand palace from the top of the hill, no place I thought a ruler of a nation would reside. My thoughts continued in this vein for a few moments until we reached the very edge of the city. Tall, long walls surrounded the outskirts and these were lined with ramparts and spikes, all cleverly constructed so they could be used for their maximum purposes.

We entered a tunnel right in the wall. After climbing several winding steps down, we were finally pushed into the room at the end. We stopped and stared.

The room was high domed with slender columns and climbing plants. Reclining couches littered the room in tasteful places. One large chandelier and several smaller ones hung from the ceiling. There were four doors at the other end of the room.

Carma walked purposefully to a door which looked as if it had been constructed with solid gold. She rapped smartly on it. From inside, we heard the tinkle of a bell.

"Well? Get in! Don't just stand there gawking," one of the guards ordered in a tired voice.

That's when I first saw the queen. I felt as if I had had a knife thrust through my heart, because I knew that face, had gazed upon it for so long.

It was..._ Lucy._

But there was something different about her. When she had visited, she had been only fifteen. The queen in front of us was no less than twenty. Lucy had lost the last traces of childish roundness in her cheeks, her golden hair had lengthened, her figure had developed. But the thing that was most different about her was her eyes.

As long as I had known her, Lucy's bright blue eyes had been full of joy and merriment. They were warm and welcoming, with a friendly glint in them. Just catching her eye for a second lightened my soul.

Now the warmth was gone, replaced with coldness. They were stormy, dark, and angry. Not a trace of the old cheer remained.

She had turned toward us when the door opened. When she saw me, her eyes widened and her mouth fell slightly open. For a moment, I saw the Lucy I had known less than a week ago. The shock vanished and she became the regal queen once again.

"General Carma, why are _they_ here?" she hissed, her voice cool and composed.

* * *

><p><strong>So here it is. I'm not sure whether I should make this into a story. Does it interest anyone? Please review and tell me whether I should continue or not.<strong>

**-Lily**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy's eyes narrowed as she looked at the men in contempt.

Turning to Carma, she said in a dangerously calm voice, "Leave us now, please. I wish to speak with these… men, alone."

Carma, looked rather frightened, an odd expression on her usually fearless face. It was obvious that Lucy was considered a personage of the utmost importance.

_This would make things very hard for the crew_, Caspian found himself thinking.

Nodding, Carma and the sentries scuttled out of the room after bowing to Lucy.

Lucy rose from the intricately carved chair she had been sitting on, and strode in front of the men. Her right hand drifted almost casually to rest at the hilt of a sword at her waist.

Her voice was quiet. Perilously so.

"Why are you here? Answer me."

Feeling that he had the best chance for a favorable audience, Caspian stepped and said, with much less apprehension than he was feeling, " We were stranded on your island by a storm which left our ship in a pitiable condition."

She gazed at him steadily, gauging his truthfulness. Coming to a conclusion, she nodded, and said, "You will not be harmed and may stay as guests in the palace. Be grateful for it."

Setting herself in her chair once again, she casually lifted a hand and rung a small silver bell that hung there. Lucy went back to perusing the document before the crews' entrance. She appeared to have put them out of her mind.

A clattering outside signaled the arrival of the sentries. Two tall dark skinned women marched in, their faces unreadable, and bowed to their queen.

"Take these men to the west wing. They shall stay there as honored guests. See to it that none speak ill of them."

If the guards felt any surprise at their leader's acceptance of the castaways, they did not show it. Bowing again, they escorted the men out of the room.

Just before the door slammed shut, Rhince, the First Mate, spun around and, with genuine hurt in his eyes, yelled, "Lucy, what happened to you?"

A guard immediately pushed a spear into his back, but the words were out.

A curious, closed expression descended onto Lucy's face.

"It was for the better. Oh and see to it that you meet me at the dining hall tomorrow," was all she said.

Caspian had plenty of time to think about the episode after being escorted to his simple, but elegant quarters. It was reminiscent of his chamber in Narnia, merely lacking the personal touches and kingly attributes. It was really a very nice place to be imprisoned in.

For that was what they were. Prisoners. Despite Lucy's words of being treated as honored guests, he understood that now. She specified no time as to the end of their stay and the hidden warning of ill will was apparent to him.

He had seen the way the girls in the street had looked at the men. Some with the curiosity of seeing a rare item, others with open resentment. Still others with contempt, looking down at them, not least because of their woebegone appearance. Some had glared with pure hate, the anger and distaste in their eyes apparent.

He wondered at it. He had seen none of their faces before, the one exception being Lucy, but they all had taken a dislike to them. It really was quite odd.

He knew one thing though. The only thing between him and a sharp spear was Lucy. She was queen, though he knew not what had made her so. Why not a fortnight ago, she had been on a ship with him! Caspian felt like he was missing something, something important.

He gave up on figuring what thing was in frustration and contented himself with casting his mind to their predicament. How were they to repair the Dawn Treader and get off the island? How would they get out of the city in the first place, with so many hostile eyes trained on them?

He figured his best chance was to seek an audience with Lucy. Despite her cold demeanor and frosty words, she had at least remained polite and honored them with opulent cells. He had not yet forgotten the fleeting expression that he had glimpsed at Rhince's outburst. Surely she had not completely changed.

Puzzling over these thoughts, Caspian finally decided he was too tired to think and rolled over and fell into a deep, albeit dreamful, sleep.

Caspian woke up to the distant sound of trumpets. Blearily, he lifted himself out of bed and drew back the sheer lace curtains. Shading his eyes against the harsh glare of the sun (how long had he slept?), he was able to make out the distant beginnings of a procession of sorts.

He could not say that it was a procession for he never seen anything quite like it. In Narnia, processions can be either solemn or gay affairs. Solemn processions heralded the blast of trumpets and other such instruments, and grave solemn faces on those involved. Gay processions were happy, careless affairs, made up of bright colors and cheerful music. People generally ran alongside, dancing and singing to the instruments.

This was neither. There was something almost wild about it. There were trumpets playing, but the music was something he had never heard before. It warbled a merry tune, sometimes dipping into a solemn call, next a shrill melody. What was even queerer was that there was no fixed tune. The instrument players played whatever they liked. For a moment, Caspian even thought he caught the melody of a childhood lullaby.

The people in the procession were even odder. They all wore green, but all different shades, so they looked very mismatched. Some wore vibrant vermillion tunics, others a dull faded dress. Their heads were bare and (of course they were all women) tangled wild hair drifted around their shoulders. Leaves, branches, dirt and flowers were all stuck within those messes of hair.

What I have just described does not sound the least bit attractive, but after you manage to get over the wildness of it all, the general effect was rather pleasant.

After spending a few moments staring at (what he could see, which, to tell the truth, was not much) the procession, Caspian decided to know what it was all about. After dressing into new clothes hastily (he was surprised and pleased to see an assortment of men's clothes hung neatly in the wardrobe) he exited the room and started down a long corridor. Of course, soon after he got hopelessly lost in the maze of hallways.

It was no use trying to find his way back to his room or to find where on earth the dining hall was. Mentally cursing the desertion of his presence of mind the night before, Caspian wisely decided to take possibly the best course of action a person of his predicament might make: he stayed where he was.

* * *

><p><strong>I know this wasn't very action packed or exciting, but I typed it really quick. Read and Review!<strong>


End file.
